Sound-reproducing instrument.



W. H. MQCURDY.

SOUND REPBODUOING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED un.z4,19oa.

Patented .13.11.12, 1909A a sHEBTs--s'Hm/r 1.

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.L PLOATION l LED JAN 24 190B Patented Jan. 12' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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al?) l) W. H. MQCURDY. SOUND REPRODUING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED .TAI.24,1S]0SA Patented Jan. 12. 1909.

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Saa om Y M7 i instruments, and more particular UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE.

WILLIAM' MCCUR'DY, Ol*` YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, KSSIGNOR TO-EDWIN W. LDUGKS.

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No. 909,645; speciamionef Letterpress. i Patentes nu. ie moe.

Application-med kunt! 24, 1908. Serial No. 418,473.' v

To all whom itmayconcem: n -respondi'nrje partev throughout the several Beit knownthat I', ,WiLmAM'I-l. McCnnrm, views in ravvins. a citizenof the. United: States, residingA at Inthe drawings t enumeral 2, designates York, in the county; of York and State of a base or su port'ofiany suitable shape and ce Pennsylvania, have-invented certain new and character. w ich.l will conveniently hold the useful Improyementsin Sound-Reproducing4 mechanism ssfwill beimore fullyhereinafter Instruments, of which the followingl is.1 adescribed, and upon which is mounted a specification. frame 3, which'y at. the left-hand endcarries Theinvention relatesto sound reproducing a motor and-.governin -.mecha.nism for regu- C5 y to the loting the speed of t e saidmotor, prefer.- cla-.ssfofphonographs or raphophones, and ably suchas is in common use at thepresent Whichfthe record is forme on the-surface of day onA (phonographs,` and, therefore, the cylinders-of corn osition ormaterialcapable snmenee notbefurther described. of. receiving in entations corresponding to J ournaledV in the. frame 3; are the usual 70 the-soundto-be reproduced. shafts 4, and 5;. for the reproducer carriage AL furtherobject of. theV invention. 6, the upper one 4*, conta1n1ngthe ordinary l ro'visionofnovel.mechanism for disengaghi screw for advlamcing thecar'riage, and the in f, automatically the reproducen the. loWershaftIQ-,beingembraced by alrecessfl, cynder after thesaidreproducenhastav-A at thelorver extremit o fgth'e carriage for 75 ensedlther sound.reproducing portionpfthe'- maintaining, axidvstea yin fthe latter. in its recolls cylinder. l proper vertical position. t* the .right-hand A further. object ofthe. invention ist-heV endof theframethe'- said shaftjsfl, ando, provision of novel mechanism for resetting respectively, are unitedvby an erid frame 22. thefreproducer automatically tobrin yit into t the upper extremity of the vcarriage 6, 80

operative position after having been rought is secured the reproducer head8, by a fas- 13o-starting. position with respect to a record tening 9, so esto-make said rebroducer head cylinder. i aimed-part ofi its-carriage an on the under Another. object of the inventionis thepro. side ofnt 1s weighted.p1ate:10,.having pivvision oil novel. means on the reproducer to 'oto'l connection as .11, therewith, to normally` S5 '1imit.themovement of'ts-stylefpoint.relativer holdtiie-style-pointm, associated with said tothe record cylinder upon which thesame plate.` in. operative position. To limit the isftmpeme.' i pirotalniorement of. the: plate l0, is pro- Wi tth aand otherobjects ofthe invenvided thereon a loop 13, engaging a pin 14,

tion, for: exemple, the same consists in tbe-V Aontherieproducer head 8, so-tha-t said plato 9') .5 construction, combinationand arrangement cannot move in'V an. arc be ond. predeterof partstheueinafter referred to, andlas illus- 'mined points., and which is-a a ted to be eletrated in the accompanyin drawings, which vatedlwhen so desired by a li tinglever 15. dieelosef the prefer-red em odiment of said pivotally mounted inthe carriage and. havinvention, however, changes, variations and ing amextension 1G, adapted tocontact with 95 40- modications ma be made such as come the said plate 1.0, to raise the same. This properly within t e scope` of the claims herelifting-y lever 15, is normally held in a posiunto ap ended,withont departing fromthe tion to elevate the said weighted plate 10, by

spirit-o .thef invention. a spring 17, the tension of which must be ,A

Intho drawings :.-Fi ure l, is a rear side overcome by appropriate mechanism herein- 10G viowothemachino. F1g.2, is an elevation after described, before the reproducer 1s looking fat the right-hand end of the machine lowered, and the carriage -thrown into enshown' in- Figtll. Fi 3, is a fragmental gugcment with the feed device. Within the view-- inlplanof the-rig it hand of thel machine carrie e 6, is a toothed member 1S, having a showntimlig, 1,. Fig. 4,- is an end view of centra recess 10. for receiving the lifting 105 ther oducer carriage with the coperative lever. 1.6, and the same beingr controlled by feedmechanism=associate`dtherewith. Fi .5. the movement of the latter to bring. said issabottomyiew ofthe reproducer diacxed member 1S, into engagement -with the feed fromfits carriage. Eig. (Lisa View of the screw to cause the travel of the carriage. right-hand endA of the re reducer. carriage: Said member f8, istensionedby a spring- 20, 110 and; its coperativepartst erewith. A to normally maintain the same in relative;

Similar reference charactersV indicate corposition with-said lifting levi-ir.,`

Upon the base 2, and a propriate standards extending upwardly rom the latter is mounted a cylinder or record-carrier consisting of a shaft-23, having at one end a relatively large disk or support 24, around the periphery of which and in regular order are journaled the cylinder mandrels 25. The shafts which are connectedwith the mandrels 25, preferably extend through the disk 24, and provided with perforated clutchmembers 26, adapting them for engagement with the motor mechanism when in a position for the reproducer to'coperate with the cylinder-carrier by the mandrels. The opposite ends of the ymandrels 25, are unobstructed; as in the case of the ordinary graphophone, adaptinor the device for having the cylinders readily slipped on or olf the same; but within the circle of cylinders at this end of the machine the shaft 23, is provided with a second disk 27, constituting a locking disk and with which a locking mechanism to be hereinafter described is adapted to coperate for holding the cylinders rigidly While the record on one of them is being traversed by the reproducer.

The motor embodies a cylinder-driving shaft 28, and in the automatic running of the machine each cylinder is successively brought into alinement with this shaft 28, and coupled therewith by a clutch, after which the carriage and reproducer are advanced until the end of the record is reached, when the movement of the carriage automatically effects the raising of the reproducer plate 10, the unlocking of the cylindercarrier, the-disengagement of the clutch between the cylinder cone and its shaft 23, and the engagement of the motor with the cylinder carrier to advance the same until the next cylinder is in position, and, finally, the disengagement of thetoothed member in the carriage from the feed screw permittingsad carriage to automatically return to its starting position under the inliuence of a separate return motor. To accomplish these results the shaft 23, is rovided with a 4 longitudinally lmovable clutc 29, controlled by a shifting lever 30, and the latter in turn connected with an arm 31, on ka longitudinally movable shaft 32, which latter extends from the motor end of the machine to and through the frame 22, and carries an arm 33, having an inwardly adjustable pin 34, provided with a thumb-head 35, and

,lockY nut 35. Said pin 34', is adapted to con- ;tacawitnthe carriage for moving the shaft longitudinally against the tension of a sprmg 36, surrounding the same.- The disk 27, before referred to as constitutin part of the locking mechanism for hol ino' the cylinder-carrier is preferabl provided with a' series of holes 37, with which a conical'pin I-3,8, `on a pivoted arm39,` is adapted to cooperate. he said arml 39, is pivoted as at 40, to the base 2, and is maintained under tension by a spring 41, the latter having its free end in engagement with a depen ing hook 42, on the pm. Atthe free end of the arm 39, is a set Vscrew 43, having a relatively long pin or ro'ection 44, extending inwardly througi t le frame 22, and in position to contact with a guard member 45. pivoted to the carriage and which is limited in its movement in one direction by a stop 46, and a catch lever 47, having an extension 47', under the tension of a spring 48, when the carriage has reached the farther limit of its movement. Said catch-lever 47, releases the lifting lever 16, to elevate the reproducer plate 10, out of engagement with the record and simultaneously causes the disengagement of the toothed member 18, from the feed screw to allow the separate return motor to bring the said carriage to normal starting position. VIt will be noted that the carriage first approaches the pin 44, to cause the extension 4Z to contact therewith and finally with the projection 34.4 Thus the cylinder-carrier is unlocked and also disengaged`from the cylinder motor shaft by the forward travel ofthe carriage, and in order to effect the feed or advance of the cylinder-carrier an oscillatory drive pavvlv (not shown) is provided, preferably mounted'on thei shaft 23, in proximity to the disk 24. One end of said drive pawl 'which is of the ordinary construction is provided to coperate with the disk 24, to move the latter in a step by step manner corresponding to the number of cylinder records supported thereby, while a rack-bar 48', is provided for moving the said pawl (not shown? in the opposite direction to advance the cy indell-carrier. This rack-bar 48', extends forwardly, preferably above the shafts 5, and 32, and V1s in position to be moved upwardly into mesh with a gear-wheel 49, which is driven constantly by the motor when running through the medium of a small pinion (not` shown f The shaft 32, is provi ed with a wedge or incline and when said shaft 32, is moved longitudinally ny the reproducer carriage in addition to unclutching the cylinderdrive shaft from the cylinder cone the incline 50, passes under and moves the rackbar 48', upinto engagement with the gearwheel 49, to advance the cylinder-earlier. As the rack-bar reaches the end of its'stroke a notch or recess 51, comes opposite the inoline and allow the rack to drop out of mesh with its gear. Then when the shaft 32, returns to its 4normal position the incline moves out of the notch andthe rack-bar is free to return to its normal position. 0r. the gear-wheel 49, isa projection 52, adapted to engage, during the movement of said gear-wheel, a trip lever; 53, pivote'd to the carriage and which is positioned directly un- 25241, is maintained in a soeces der the lower end oi' the'litting lever 16, so as to move thewlatter to lovvex` the vmiglitetl plate' 10, to bring the style-'point 122, into operative ition relative" to the; record cylinder w en said carriage has been returned to its starting position.

In' order now that the carriage may be automatically disengaged :Erom'tne feed screw and the reproducen* plate 10, held elevated during the return movement and that such disengagementand return movement shall` take place after the cylinder carrier has advanced, the said carriage having the guard member 45, coperate with the pm 44, of the locking mechanism to release the flatter. The engagement of'the in 44, with theextension 47 takes place eiore the carriage has reached the extreme end of its travel,

and as the carriage continues its movement i ing out of en agement with the m44, and

the latte'r un er the influence Io its spring position to coperate with the extension 4:7, catch-lever 47, from its engagement'with the lifting-lever 16, which thereupon-drops and disen ages the toothed-member 18, releas-4 ing t Ae latter from the .feed-screw, the tapered in 38, entering simultaneously one of thegho es 37, in the disk 27. The carriage no'w being disengaged is at once returned to the starting point through the medium of a flexible connection 55, extending from the carriage to and around a return motor drum 56, located on the base at the left-hand end of the machine When sel returned lever, 53, is brought within range of the projection 52, on the gear-wheel and the j'said lever 53,

raised so as to allow the reproducer `platet 10, having the style-point 12,"to engage the v cylinder to throw the carriage' into engagementwith the feed-screw.

Inasmucli` as with the mechanism described the' reproducenplate 10, is raised only as the carriage begins its return move ment and as it is 'desired that the cylinders shall have completed their change at this time provision maybe made for preliminarily raising the reproducer plate in order that there may be no danger of injuring the re-` p -reproducer plate on the said head, a motor `t= `for returning the carnage' to its initial startf lfor bringing the same into operative position "producer or mutilating4 the 'records as the cylinder-carrier advalnces.

Having thus described the invention, w is claimedis: Y

1. In a sound reproducing machnepthe eoinbnationwith a record-cylinder support,

a motor fr driving said support, a` repro;

ducercarriage-driven by the" motor, a reproducer-head .{ixecLto said carriage, andi means 4fer automatically returning snidearleriag'e to its initial position when disengaged from the motor, of a reproducer late pivot@` ally connected to the reproduceread, autoreleasing the said matically actuated ,lifting means carried by `the carriage and independent of the motor for elevating the reproducer-plate for disengaging' the same from the renard-cylinder wheuthe carriage has moved a distance in one direction, alockin device mounted on 'the carriage for holding the plate- `in depressed position and in coaction with the -record. cylinder, means on the carriage to operate the lock and release smid liting means when the carria e has moved a distance inthe op osite irecton, and means copenative .w1t 'the lifting means for bringing the carriage into and out of engagement with the motor.

. 2. Ina sound-reproducing machine, the combination with a record-cylinder carrier, a reciprocating reproducer-carriage, and motor mechanism coperative with the latter to move the same 1n o posite directions, of a' reproducer-head Exe to the carriage,

a fplivotal plate mounted on the saidhead, a 1i ng lever Vonsaid carriage for elevating Vthe plvotal plate', a s ring engaging the lever for automatically ifting the same and elevating the-plate, andlautomatically actuated tension controlled means coperative with the Vlifting lever to brintg1 the carriage into operative .position Wi the motor mechanism.

3. In a vsound-reproducing machine, the combination of a `record-cylinder carrier, a reciprocating reproducer-carriage, and feeding means for moving the same-in o posite directions, `of a repro ucar-head fixedp to the carriage and havmg a movable reproducer plate, 'automatically actuated lifting means on the carriage and wholly independent of said feeding means for elevating said plate to-disengage the same rpm the Ecard-Cylin- ,der 4when the saidcairi 9 reaches its exi treme movement in one irection, a' catchlever coirative with the lifting means to,V normall old Athe latter in a locked position, a guar member for the catch lever, and means. controlled by they lifting means to bring lthe, carriage into operative position with the motor mechanism.

4.111 a'machine of the class described, a vrecord-cylinder support, a motor'for drivin 4tl'ierliipport a reproducer carriage, a fixe rep acer-head on the carriage, a pivotal ,-,ing position, means carried by the carriage :with driving motor, a lifting' device for` actuatmg the said means land also to elevate' the reproducerlate to disengag the latter .from-.the recor cylinder; automatic means independent of the motor'for lifting thefde-` vice; acatch lever for lookin the lifting ,device against movement by said automatic means, and sprin controlled means adapted to actuate the sai catch lever and release the lifting device when the carriage reaches the end oi the machine while moving in one direction.

y 5. In a machine of the classl described, a record-cylinder support, a motor for drivino the support, a reproducer carriage, a fixe reproducer head on the carria e, a ivotal reproducer-plate on` the sai hea said motor being also adapted to cause the travel of the carriage in one direction, a separate motor for returning said carriage to its ini tial position, Said second motor being Wound by the action of thel first-mentioned means on the carriage for bringing the same into operative positions with its driving motor7 a lifting device cooperative with said lifting means and also elevating the reproducerplate to disengage the latter from the record cylinder, automatic means separate from the motors for litin the device, a catch lever for locking the lifting device against `movement by said automatic means, spring controlled device coperative with the catch lever to release the same and also to Jfree the record-cylinder support to allow movement thereof. a uard for said catch lever, and means for isplacing said guard member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. MCCURDY.

Witnesses:

ALBERT. M. EBERT, HARRY S. LONG. 

